Design a Lesson Around an Instructional Anchor

Use this application task to design a coherent, standards-aligned U.S. History lesson organized around a high-leverage instructional anchor. Educators select a USHC Standard 2 indicator, identify the historical thinking and Depth of Knowledge (DOK) expectations, map aligned content, select primary and/or secondary sources, and design a common evidence-centered task. The resource also guides educators in using Performance Level Descriptors (PLDs) to plan expectations and instructional supports while maintaining rigorous historical thinking for all students. Examples using the Missouri Compromise and the 13th Amendment model how instructional anchors can connect content, evidence, historical reasoning, assessment, and differentiation within a coherent learning experience.

Resources